Chengdu is the capital city of China’s Sichuan province. Also known as “the land of abundance” or “the land of panda and abundance”, The region is ripe with green vegetables, bright red chili peppers. Many of the region’s most famous dishes come from Chengdu, including the simple-yet-bursting with flavor Chengdu-ji (ji = chicken).

Sichuan Spicy Chengdu Chicken

The original version of Chengdu-ji was prepared using only chicken and spices. This updated version adds some nice flavor and textural contrasts that without altering the dishes original intentions.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Sichuan, Western China

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Bowl
Wok

Ingredients

Marinade for "Silking"

1 tbsp Cornstarch
1½ tbsp Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1½ tbsp Soy sauce

Seasonings

2 tbsp Cornstarch
1½ tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sesame oil
½ tsp Ground Sichuan pepper
1 tbsp Tomato ketchup (optional but good)

Vegetables

2 stalks Scallion, cut into 1-inch lengths
½ cup Bamboo shoot, sliced thin and cut into sticks
½ large Tomato, cut into 8 wedges.
1 tbsp Ginger root, minced
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1½ tbsp Hot bean paste (Doubanjiang)

Chicken & Oil

1 lb Boneless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch cubes
½ cup Peanut oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prep

Chop chicken into cubes and leave in marinade for 30 minutes. Chop all vegetables and combine doubanjiang, scallion, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Combine all the seasoning in another bowl, starting with the cornstarch.

Cook

Heat oil in wok until smoking hot. Add chicken cubes and stir fry until chicken just turns white. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain oil into a bowl to reuse.
Return 2 tbsp oil to wok, add bamboo shoots, and stir fry over very hot heat about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate with chicken.
Return 3 tbsp oil to the wok and when smoking hot, add-in bowl with vegetables and hot sauce. Stir fry until the ginger turn red and fragrant. Add the chicken and bamboo shoots back in and stir-fry until everything is well mixed and hot. Give the seasonings a stir with a spoon and add along with the tomato wedges. Stir to let the tomato wedges heat up. Check for salt and serve hot.

Nutrition

Sichuan Spicy Chengdu Chicken (Chengdu Ji)